The Power and the Glory would have been plenty tense if it had merely dramatized the struggle of a hunted priest trying to minister to persecuted people, but Greene doesn't stop there. Instead, the book goes full Drama on us by putting the priest's chief duties into question. He's torn not only by the trial of doing his duty, but also by his uncertainty about where his responsibilities lie. Should he serve a populace when his ministry puts both him and those he serves into mortal peril? Should he really be the singular figure representing the Church when he's quite the opposite of a decent fellow? And ultimately—should he stay or should he go?
Questions About Duty
- How do the Catholics that the priest serves understand their duty to him? What do they see as their responsibilities when the priest is present and also when he is away?
- Why do Mr. Lehr and Miss Lehr take in the priest?
- Why does Padre José tell his wife that he is a priest?
- What does the priest feel his duty is to the half-caste?
Chew on This
Both the lieutenant and the priest feel themselves duty-bound to the truth.
Doing one's duty isn't always the right thing to do.